Asm. Tennille McCoy

Maddy summarySCR 131 is a concurrent resolution approving the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank's Fiscal Year 2026 Financial Plan. The bill does not create new policy but formally endorses the bank’s submitted plan for financing eligible environmental projects, including clean water, drinking water, stormwater management, and pollution control initiatives. This approval is required by state law annually to authorize the bank to fund projects on the approved list developed by the Environmental Protection Department. The resolution affects the Infrastructure Bank directly, enabling it to proceed with its planned financing for public infrastructure projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases tax credits for investors who fund New Jersey emerging technology businesses, raising the credit rate from 20% to 60% of qualified investments, with an additional 5% available for investments in opportunity zones, low-income communities, or certified minority/women-owned businesses. It also lowers the maximum employee count for qualifying businesses from 225 to 150 employees. The bill repeals the "New Jersey Ignite Act" while updating definitions and mechanisms for the tax credit program to better support technology startups across fields like biotechnology, renewable energy, and advanced computing. This change directly affects individual investors and venture funds making qualifying investments in New Jersey-based technology businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to display a person's full legal name - including Roman numerals - on specific driver's licenses, identification cards, and permits. It directly affects residents whose legal names (as recorded on birth certificates) include Roman numerals (e.g., "John Smith III"), ensuring their name appears exactly as documented without omitting the numeral. The MVC must display the full legal name if applicants provide standard verification documents proving identity, age, and residence. This change applies to all standard licenses, permits, and REAL ID documents without altering existing name-change procedures.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A5823 establishes a licensure pathway for non-hospital based inpatient residential mental health treatment facilities serving adolescents (12-21) and adults requiring 45-120 day care. These facilities would provide comprehensive treatment including medication management, trauma-informed therapies, and holistic services - addressing a gap where current hospital-based care focuses only on short-term stabilization. The bill mandates strict licensing requirements covering staffing ratios, staff training, treatment plans, facility safety, and operator qualifications, while also creating a Mental Health Workforce Development Program with grants, loan forgiveness, and salary incentives to address the shortage of mental health professionals. This aims to improve access to mid-to-long-term care, reduce hospital strain, and align with similar models in states like Pennsylvania and Florida.

Maddy summaryThis bill would create special "Woman Veteran" license plates in New Jersey, featuring a silhouette of a woman veteran saluting against an American flag with the words "Woman Veteran." To obtain these plates, applicants must provide proof of veteran status (via DD-214 or discharge documents) and pay a $50 application fee plus a $10 annual renewal fee. The additional fees collected fund a dedicated "Woman Veteran License Plate Fund," which annually supports organizations assisting women veterans. The program requires 500 initial applications and $25,000 in private funding before implementation, and expires if these conditions aren't met within 12 months.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create and update guidelines within 90 days for state and local agencies to use when purchasing goods made from recycled materials. The guidelines will recommend specific recycled content percentages for procurement contracts, potentially referencing existing U.S. EPA guidelines. State agencies and local governments must incorporate these guidelines into new product specifications for purchases, unless following them would increase contract costs. The bill applies to all state departments and local entities with procurement authority, but exempts local contracts where cost would rise.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows small New Jersey employers with fewer than 20 employees to claim a tax credit for paying health insurance premiums for their workers. Employers who cover 100% of premiums for single coverage get a $250 credit per employee, and $500 for family coverage; partial coverage (50-100%) earns a proportional credit. The credit is reduced if premiums aren’t paid for the full year, and no credit is available if less than 50% of premiums are paid. It applies to both corporation business tax and gross income tax, capping the credit at the actual amount paid and limiting total credit use to 50% of tax liability.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey pharmacies to display a notice and provide a pamphlet about insulin manufacturer assistance programs at checkout. Pharmacies must give these materials to anyone purchasing insulin or requesting them, with the Department of Banking and Insurance creating the content. The information helps insulin users access manufacturer programs that may reduce their out-of-pocket costs. It directly affects pharmacies (by requiring new disclosures) and insulin patients (by improving access to cost-saving resources).

Maddy summaryThis bill allows parents or guardians to file a guardianship complaint for a minor up to six months before the minor turns 18, establishing a clear timeframe for these filings. It ensures any guardianship order only takes effect on the minor's 18th birthday to prevent gaps in legal protection during the transition to adulthood. The bill also specifies that guardianship complaints cannot be withdrawn without evidence the minor has capacity or has died. This change aims to streamline the process for minors who will need guardianship upon reaching adulthood.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires new flooring installed in schools (K-12) and licensed childcare centers to be certified as mercury-free by the manufacturer before a construction permit can be issued. For renovations involving existing flooring, applicants must either provide certification that current flooring is mercury-free (pending health department rules) or confirm it will be removed before new flooring is installed. Manufacturers falsely claiming mercury-free flooring face civil penalties of $10,000 for a first offense and $25,000 for repeat violations. The bill directly affects construction projects in these facilities and establishes a process for health department certification of mercury-free flooring.